Yarn-changing device for knitting-machines.



. 1;. swmGLEHURsT. I YARN CHANGING DEVICE FOR KNITTIHG MACHINES,

APPLICATION FILED $019, 1912.

%,%,y K Patented Apnmlm.

To all whom it may concern.-

n smarts Parana cinema-W 'nannr swauetnriunsrflor. ootmneswoon, nnw JERSEY, assrenon To. sco'r'r &

WILLIAMS, njoy-"or 1TBOSTOIST,MASSACHUSETTS, A oonronarrcu or n nw JERSEY.

.Be it known that I, .HARRY SWINGLIk nunsr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Collingswood,county ofGamden, and

' which a yarn or yarns held in a position to State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Yarn -Chan ing-Device for Knitting-Machines, of whic tthe following is a specification. .3

My invention relates to that class of yarn feeding devices for knitting machines in be fed to the needles is adapted tov be exchanged for another yarnor yarns, with due provision for maintainin the continuity of thefeed to the needles an I for providing the necessary tension or absence of tension at different .times .upon .the said yarns, as well as providing for the proper control of such yarns asmay be idle or out of work.

To these' ends my, invention comprises movable yarn guides and means to operate them at predetermined times ,as Well as devices for clamping and cutting the idle yarns between the knit-fabric into which they are no longer being fed and the said movable yarn guides, and devices for providing against the accidental displacement of the idle yarns during such times as they remain outof work; I

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a plan of so much of'ahosiery knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate the application thereto of in improved devices; Fig. 2 is a vertical axia section through the yarn manipulating elements as applied to the said machine; Fig. 3 is a ertical section of the line IIIIII of Fig.2

As is usual in hosiery machines the yarn ide and control" devices are operatively associated with a latch ring or guard 1 dis posed concentrically withtflthe needle cylinder of the machine, said ring serving to prevent the.' closing of the latches opened by pending upon the direction of rotation, a; channel or throat 2 is formed in the latch guard ring. Through the said channel or openiing the yarns a'refed to the advanced needles, the open hooks of which pass near the inner surface of the latchiguard ing Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 9, 1912. Serial No. recess.

YARN-CHANGING DEVICE ron KNITTING-MACHINES.

Patented Apr. M1, lQli ll.

when the needles are advanced by their cam; One side or corner oi: the said channel or throat may serve as a guide to determine the last point of contact with the yarn before'it' encounters the needles. 1

Ina suitable two part bracket 3, which may be formed integrally with the. latch guard ring at some distance above and outwardly from the throat 2, I mount a: short horizontal shaft 4 upon which is strung a series of movable yarn guide levers 5, the bracket 3 having stop rods 6 and 7, determining the amount of movement of each of the yarn guide levers 5 upon the shaft l.

Upon another short shaft 8, also journaled in said bracket, a series of actuator levers 9 corresponding in number to the yarn guide levers 5 is mounted. Each of the levers 9 is in contact with a spur or lug on the yarn guide lovers 5 and at the other end is within the arc of motion of cams or pat tern lugs on a drum journaled on the shaft 10 which may be the shaft upon which the latch guard structure audits attachments are pivoted. As fully described in my application Serial No.. 653,001 filed October 5, 1911, the cam drum for operating the movable yarn guides is operated at predetermined times by a-mechanism comprising the ratchet 11.

When a yarn guide lever 5 is in a substantially vertical position the vain or yarns guided in apertures in tie end thereofis placed in the throat 52 in a. position to be fed to the needles. This position of each of the yarn guide levers is normally caused bythe stress of one of the series of springs 12 con necting each yarn guide lever with its actuating lever, but is interfered with by the surface coextensive with the needles, passing concentrically through the latch guard ring, an internal guide and clamp indicated generally at 14.. This structure is mounted upon an integral or other extension of the latch guard ring passing upwardly, inwardly and hen downwardly to a level near that v of the bottom of the latch guard ring, where it terminates in an anvil or plate against which a movable clamp 16 pivoted on a stud 13 may be forced. Said plate 15 also carries the fixed blade 17 cooperating with a movable blade 18 to form a shear cutter. Blade 18 is mounted upon a vertical slide 19 moving in a channel 20 on the bracket 14. Said slide 19 is operated by a lever causes the yarns to approach the center of,

the machine and further rotation of the machine carries the yarns attached to the fabric at the point where they were last knit under the fixed spring guide 23 on the face of the plate or anvil 15 between the jaws formed by the clamp 16 and the plate 15, which are now open to receive said yarns, and thence into the open jaws of. the cutter 17, 18, which is immediately actuated upon the yarns reaching this point.

The tail of the clamp lever 16 takes between lugs on the slide 19 to effect the simultaneous closing of the clamp 15, 16 and the cutters 17, 1S. w

While I have found the above described mechanism which is substantially that disclosed in my said application highly efficient for the purpose of changing one yarn for another in the orderly operation of the n1achine, some difliculty has been experienced with the device when using certain kinds of yarn, especially under a slack knitting tension. This difficulty I have found to be due to the gradual slackening of the" yarns between the source of supply (not shown) and the clamp 15, 16; due to air currents and vibration of the machine, or to other causes.

As is usual in all knitting machines of this type the yarn from the supply bobbins is passed downwardly through an overhead guide whence it may or may not bepassed through fixed guides such as I have shown as comprising eyelets 26 in a plate 27 forming apart ofbracket 3. From this point the yarns are threaded through the openings in the'yarn guide levers 5. It will be v noticed. that the actuation of a lever 5 swings the yarn about the nearest fixed guide abovethem, in this instance one of the eyelets 26. as a center; and through an arcmeasured by the oscillation of the apertured'end of the yarn guide levers;

-The-propcr' tension of the yarn when it is first given to the needles is of great importance since if the yarn is too loose at this time it fail to engage the needles i at the intended. point. 7 When attempting to v contg'olthe point of change of onezyarn for another within one or two needles about the circle of needles, rotating-at high ve-- locitvwith res ect to{-the yarn throat 2', it'

slackness in the yarn between-the internal clamp andthe guides 26 ma-v defeat placing the yarn at 'th'e,-proper needles. Under aggravated conditions the yarn may sometimes fail to reach the needles for several courses afterthe point intended, anclloops and snarls of slack y'arn maybe formed between the guides'26 and the point at which the yarn is clamped. v To obviate these difiiculties by-pl acing a constant tension upon the knitting yarns would p'r'eventthe operation of the 'machine in the mannerdesired and I have; therefore, provided device to place the idle'yarns only under tension and to keep them under tension until after the said idle yarns have become active yarns and havestarted to run into the machine, after which the tension automatically removed; This device consists ofa series of tension disks 30 loosely strung' 'upon a bar mount ed on ane te'nsion42of the hracketB, as

by ash oulder' andthreaded end carrying the nut 32. A many pairs of tension" disks 30 are provided as there are movable yarn guide levers, in the presentinstanee four pairs. I

As clearly, shown Fig.2 the bar 31" is placed in such a position as' to cause the yarns extending from the fixed guides 27 through the movable guides," which are the apertures in the ends of the lever-s5, to the clamp 15, 16 when a lever 5 is out of work;

tension disks. I v v The tension employedis necessarily very to contact with and enter betweena pair-of.

' light, and to render it delicately adjustable I have placed upon the bar31, 32 two springs I: 33, 34 to take'aga'jinst eachen'd' offth'e series of disks. The spring is' adjustable bythe nut 35' and jam nut 36. Thespring 33 'is ad-' justjable byth'e plate 37 which is forked to take around the bar-1 31 at one en'd and'isa bent into a spur38 to pass through and" pivot. in" a hole in extension 42 at the other end. The sefiscr'eW 39 having a jam nut 40 pressing upon the plate between its-ends is employed to adjust the plate '37; "Between the 'two central pairs of disks 30 I place a pin' etl in a holei'ntheb'ar 31 to prevent the adjustment of the disks to one side' or the other of the planes taken by the moving yarns. The tension disks are of a cupped or flared form easily entered by the yarn. To aid in thc 'entrance of theyarn, I'pro vide upon each of the yarn guide levers a enter between and separate the tension disks when the guide cariying the spur is near the end of its movementinto its active position, and-When the guide is thrown into its inactive position, the spur maintains the tension disks open until after the yarn is between them. I may cut away part of the thickness of the spurs 61 as at (32, to provide free passage for the yarn. v

. The movement of a yarn from its operative position, which is'illustratedby a lever 5 carrying the yarn 52 in'liig. 2, to its inopertltive position (which is that illustrated by the lever carrying the yarns 50 and 51 in the same figure) will not only carry out the functioncof removing 'the yarns from the needles, permitting the yarn to be guided to the center of the surface defined by the needles, clamped and cut, but will also cause the 5 positive insertion of the yarn taken out of ss-tension is maintained during the remaining Work between a pair of the tension disks 30,,

which occupy a placein line with the yarn in its new position. The tension now placed upon theyarn is suficient to prevent it from becoming slack under the causes above mentioned. Upon the return of the yarn guide ito an operative position the clamping eilect of the tension disks is effective during the firstpart of the movement of the guide and movement of the guide lever because of the drag of the bore in the end of the moving guide lever on that part of the yarn between the internal clamp and the free end of the guide lever, until after the needles shall have 'vtakeu and-begun to knit with the hitherto ,idle'yarn. thus maintaining the yarn taut at the moment. of insertion It will be noticed .that the position of the tension device 30 is out of the plane now defined by the fixed guide- 26 and the aperture in theend of the levee 5. and the running tension upon the yarn takes it out of alinement with the ten sion disks. kt orbeforethis time the clamp 16 is opened, sufiicient stitches having been formedofthe new yarn to firmly embed it in the fabric. The effect of the running ten sion on the yarn to Withdraw it from the tension disks does not accrue, therefore, un til after the disks have been opened by a spur 61. and after the needles have taken and knit the yarn.

In case one of the yarn changers is operated as a sectional splicing device to enter its yarn into Work and then remove it before a complete revolution of the ne sport to the feed p0 ncction with tion. the tension devices ied' in contat as applicable to hold the 1dle yarn under the proper tensioxrprior to its insertion and aiter its removal as they are in the case of those yarn guides operated to change one yarn for another.

What I claim 2- 1. In a yarn changing device for knitting n'iachines, a yarn clamp, a tension (l8V1CQ,

and a fixed yarn guide substantially in line with; each other. in combination with a movable yarn guide and means to move it into and out of operation on a. line passing between the clamp and the tension device' 2. In a yarn changing device for knitting machines, means having. therein a yarn throat for guiding the knitting yarn t0 the knitting wave, a series of guides relatively 'fixed with respect to said throat, a series of movable guides between said throat and said fixed guides and a tension device located between one position of the movable guides and said fixed guides. I

3. In a knitting machine, a series of yarn guides, and means to move one or more of them at a time from operative to inoperative positions, and the reverse, in combination with means to place the yarn carried by each of the inoperative guides under tension during the time when said yarn is not being knit, and means to cause a yarn restored to operation after knittingwith 'it has begun to be relieved from tension.

&. In a yarn changing device for knitting machines, a yarn clamp, a tension device and a fixed yarn guide, substantially in line with each other, in combination with a movable yarn guide and means to move it lnto and out of operation on a line passing between the clamp and the tension device, and

means to release'the tension device atone extreme of the movement of the movable yarn guide. I

5. in a yarn changing device for knitting machines a series of independently movable yarn guides and means to move a selected member of the series at a predetermined time into an operative position, in combination with a series of tension devices operative upon the yarns of the inoperative yarn guides, and means operating eoincidently with the movement of a yarn guide into operative position to release the tension device for the yarn of that guide. 1

(3. in a knitting machine, sources of yarn supply, a yarn changing mechanism com-g prising" a plurality of yarn guide devices movable into and out of knitting position, means to hold a yarn withdrawn from knit tino' position by the movements of one of said guide devices, and holding devices for the yarn positioned to he encountered by the yarn between said guide device and the smircc of yarn supply when the yarn is moved by its guide device.

T. in av knitting maehin kuittiugg needles,

sources of yarn supply, a yarn changing mechanism comprising a plurality of lovers movable past the surface defined by the knitting needles, means on one side of said surface to clamp the end of a yarn withdrawn from knitting position by the movement of one of said levers, and holding devices for the yarn positioned on the same side of said surface as said clamping means, to be encountered by the yarn between said lever and the source of yarn. supply when the yarn is moved by its lever.

8. In a knitting machine, knitting devices and means to feed yarn thereto comprising a plurality of movable yarn guides means to cause some of said guides at predetermined times to move from an operative to an inoperative position, and a tension device relatively fixed with respect to the 'movable guides in a posit-ion to be encountered and engaged by the yarns of such of the guides as are in an inoperative position, in combination with means for clamping the yarns so engaged between the fabric and the movable. guide.

9. lna knitting machine, a source of yarn supply, a fixed yarn guide, a yarn-changing device comprising a yarn carryingiever having an end movable into and out of knitting position, means beyond the end of the lever to hold'the yarn withdrawn from knitting position'by the movement-of said lever and holding devices for the yarn between the end ofthe lever and the fixed yarn guide in a position to receive the yarn when it is withdrawn from knit-ting position.

- 10 In a knitting machine, knitting needles, a fixed yarn guide, a source of yarn supply, -a yarn changing mechanism con1- prising aplurality of yarn guides movable from an operative to an inoperative position, means to clamp the yarn withdrawn from knitting position by the movement of one of said yarn guides, and tension devices for the yarn positioned to be encountered by the yarn between said movable yarn guide and the fixed guide when the yarn is moved by its movable guide.

-11. In a knitting machine, knitting needles, a source of yarn supply, a fixed yarn guide, a yarn changing mechanism comprising a plurality of yarn guides movable from an operative to an inoperative position, means to clamp the yarn withdrawn from knitting position by the movement of one of said yarn guides, and a tensiondevice for the yarn between said movable yarn guide and the fixed guide, said tension device being out of the lane defined by the fixed guide and a mova le guide in'an ope 'ative position, whereby the yarn-is automatically removed from said tension device after being operatively taken by the needles. 12. In a knitting machine, a. yarn feeding device comprising a movable yarn guide and means to cause it to occupy an operative and an inoperative position at' predetermined times, a fixed yarn guide,'. out of the 1 plane of movement of the; movable yarn guide, and a tension device between the fixed yarn guide and the movable yarn guide, and substantially in theplane defined by the -in operative position of the movable guide and the fixed guide, whereby a movement to the inoperative position places the yarn under tension, and a movement to theoperative position permits the yarn to withdraw from the tension device after it begins to run intothe machine.

13, In a yarn tension device for knitting machines, a shaft or bar, means to support said bar, a series of tension disks loosely strung upon said bar, springs at each end thereof, a stop on said bar in the middle of the series of disks,'and independent means to adjust the tension of said springs, in combination with movable yarn-guides op crating in planes betWeenpa-irs of. said disks, and means to operate said guides to enter and remove them yarns from between said disks.

In testimon whereof I-havesi ned m name to this specification, in the presence of' two subscribing wi nesses.

HARRY swmernnunsr. lVitnesses: i

\VALTER Laarcmjl MARv F. GRIFFIN. 

